Give Thanks

These are a little out of order but that's ok...

Today I am thankful for my Riley. Today she is 23 months old! It is hard to believe that in one month she will be two years old! Riley has brought more joy to me than I could have ever imagined. It is impressive to me how much I have learned from her already in these past 23 months. I am continually (sp?) reminded of how God is so amazing even to the point of how he created us to bear children! I love how her sweet smile reminds me of the love from my heavenly father. I am thankful for the heart that she has. I am thankful for the way she loves her brother and how she loves others. I am thankful that she was a great baby! I am thankful that she is a good sleeper and a healthy, active, 23 month old. I am thankful that God saw fit for Ryne and I to have her. I am thankful that she has so many people that love her, and that pray for her. I am thankful that I never have had to worry about providing for her. I am thankful that even though she is normally not a snuggler, that she still gives me a kiss every single night before bed. I am thankful that I already see a servants heart in her and I hope and pray that I will continue to nurture that in the best way possible.

There are so many reasons why I am thankful for Riley it is emotionally overwhelming to think about. In so many ways Riley changed our lives. I look forward to seeing how she continues to do that everywhere.

What are you thankful for today?

Give Thanks

I am thankful for my freedom. Today is Veteran's day. As most of you know, Ryne and I are in the application process for the Marines. As a result of that, I have taken a great interest in military life and what that holds, the good and the bad. I personally have decided that the good far out weighs that bad. I am thankful that we live in a place where we can talk about the military and make a decision. We are free even in that to explore different branches of service. This past week I have been thinking a great deal about service in general, whether that is military or just one person serving another. I personally have been feeling convicted to become someone who serves because it is part of who they are and not just a feeling of obligation or duty. It makes me feel good to think that individuals in the military would look at serving the same way. To serve because it is a part of who they are and for that I am so grateful. To those who have served, are serving, and even those who will serve, Thank You.

What are you thankful for today?

Give Thanks

Today I am thankful for the train! I kept working on "what sound does a train make" with Riley today. Everytime I would say "choo-choo" she would just laugh at me. Even though we never quite got it down, we both went to the train station at about 7:15 to pick up HONEY!! Riley and Sam were a little sad and confused because Honey only stopped by the house to take a quick potty break and give quick hugs and kisses before it was back to the car. My emotions were getting the best of me today, but no matter what curve balls my day took, I was SUPER excited because I knew the train would be bringing me my mom tonight. I actually had to take her to GG and GGP's house tonight but she will be back on Thursday night!
I had such a great experience the only time that I have ridden a train. It is such a great place to start conversations with people and to even minister to them. I remember looking around and there were a few people who were traveling all alone. I had some great conversations with those people and hopefully they enjoyed it too. Today my Mom met a sweet woman who had some incredible testimony's to share. Isn't it amazing how a long train ride with strangers can lead to such a blessing!
I am glad that the train was able to bring her here so that she can attend a funeral for her cousin Pam tomorrow. I am thankful that we live in a place that offers so many different transportation options.

What are you Thankful for today?

Give Thanks

Today has been an extremely long day. There were multiple things going on and I was just down right in a blah mood. I hate when I am tired and snappy because the first place I see it is in my lack of patience with my kids. I knew I had to figure out something to destress me because napping was not an option. So today I am thankful for Hershey's Cookies-n-creme. It is one of the very few candy bars that I actually like because I do not like chocolate, but I love white chocolate! I know it may be silly to be thankful for a candy bar but I think we all have days where we just need something to make it better. Today, for me, it was a candy bar.

What are you thankful for today?

Give Thanks

Tonight I am thankful for the Bergren's. That is Ryne's wonderful family. Today both of Ryne's parents and Hannah (WE MISSED YOU CAIT) got to come and see us for the day. I have been missing them all SO much! I can't wait til Thanksgiving when we can all be together. I am so thankful for them because of the special relationship I have with them all. I love Caitlin and Hannah SO much and truly gained two sisters when I married Ryne. His parents are the best and they even tell me I am there FAVORITE daughter in law! My parents have been praying for my future spouse since I was a little girl, and that is part of why I am so thankful for Joan and Lee, because they have done the same thing. They have prayed for me since Ryne was little. (even though they didn't put a name to the girl for a few years down the road :) I have the best in-laws a girl could ask for. The love and support that we get from them is priceless.

I love you all so much and am thankful for you everyday, but today especially you are all on my mind. Thanks for coming. We missed you Cait. And we will see you all again soon!

What are you thankful for today?

The Soles Family

I was so excited because I got to meet Levi Soles today! Zach and Faith are some friends of our in married housing and they welcomed their ADORABLE little boy last night. He was 7 lbs. .04 oz and was born at 7:04 p.m. Congratulations Soles family. I have a feeling Sam, Riley and Levi will be great friends!

Give Thanks

Yesterday was SO busy I didn't have anytime to blog what I was Thankful for so tonight I am doubling up. After a day like yesterday I was very thankful for my bed. There are days that are so full and so busy that I look forward to crawling into my bed and just crashing. I especially love when the weather changes and I get to put flanel sheets on my bed. I love having an extremely cold room with heavy, warm blankets to snuggle up in. Those are just a few reasons why I am thankful for my bed.



Tonight Ryne was here to help put the kids to bed. I am thankful for the nights that Ryne can be here to do that. He works so hard and is so busy, he doesn't always get to be here to read books and give a kiss goodnight. That is why the nights that he can be here are even more special. These are just a few pictures of bedtime tonight. Of course there was some wrestling mixed in with the books. The kids sure do love it though! (except for the one picture where we told Riley it was time to go to bed) I know Ryne won't be able to help me put the kids to sleep all the time so I really cherish these nights.

What are you thankful for today?

Give Thanks

I am thankful for cell phones. Today has been a very long day. Both of my kids are under the weather, and so is Ryne. I don't feel all that snazzy either and I am just plain emotional today. Therefore, I am thankful for cellphones. I got to call my mommy and whine and somehow that always seems to make things better. As a matter of fact, I got to talk to a lot of people tonight and it has helped to lift my spirits. I know it is short tonight but I am SUPER tired. To try and avoid getting sick, I am going to bed early. I will rest easier though because I got to vent to loved ones. I love you all. Thanks for taking some time to talk to me tonight!

What are you thankful for today?

They make me laugh...

This is the dessert, after Sam (and Riley) got a hold of it! (the candles are for our neighbor Corban's birthday)



Riley opened up the fridge for her brother. How sweet.... haha



Riley likes to line things up. Even though she wasn't supposed to have the cups or bowls, it impressed me how she arranges them. She even has a magnet in each bowl. :)

Today has been a very full day to say the least. I had made a special dessert for Ryne and for our neighbor Corban for his birthday. We were about 5 minutes from leaving when the house got mysteriously quiet. Riley had opened up the fridge and was letting Sam take his turn at the treat. Meanwhile, Riley was in the living room taking out every single ziploc bag from the box.
Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Give Thanks

So tonight my "give thanks" is a little bit different. I am going with a "pray for your enemies concept" So... tonight... I am thankful for my kitchen sink. Notice: I did not say for my dishwasher :)
Ryne had a particularly busy day today at school so I wanted to make sure the house was extra clean and that I had meals right on time and exceptionally tasty too. However, the harder I tried to keep things clean the worse things seemed to get. I felt as if I was constantly washing dishes but the kitchen never seemed clean. Sometimes I just want to GRRR at my pile of dishes that keeps me away from seemingly more important things. HOWEVER, then I began to think about how fortunate I am to be able to wash dishes. I am able to stand, to scrub with my hands, and to reach up and bend down when putting dishes away. Not to mention I have running water and atleast I have a kitchen with a working stove. There is also a part of not having a dishwasher that has been very good for me. My thinking is that if I can learn to keep my kitchen clean without one, it will help me appreciate and (hopefully) not take advantage of when I do have one. I have learned that it is most certainly better to clean as you go! Ha.
All in all, I am thankful for our little sink, in our little kitchen. It is where I have started to learn how to prepare and clean after, feeding my family. What a blessing!

What are you thankful for today?

Give Thanks

I am thankful for the sky. Most people probably don't know why blue is my favorite color. It has everything to do with the sky. I love how the sky isn't just blue. I feel as if its shade shows its emotion. I love how the sky turns a dark blue grey when a storm is rolling in and how the sky can even be a happy shade of blue or tired shade of blue. I love how the clouds do there own thing as well. The crisp white color pops off of the beautiful blue sky. They can sometimes look confused, busy, or even mad. I feel as if I am a lot like the sky. I try to remember that no matter what storm consumes me and no matter how many clouds cloud my view, my color shows that I know that the sun will still come out tomorrow. We all have our denim days, our indigo nights, our cerulean mornings and our cornflower afternoons but we are still blue. The sky is always reminding me of that. Not to mention how I am in awe of its beauty constantly. My sky is always changing but no matter where I am standing or when that is, sooner or later the sun will come out and God's glory will shine through the sky once again.

(These are some AMAZING photos from my friend and neighbor Maryanne. These are from right here on campus!) I wanted to show sky pics from on campus b/c I was thinking about this on my walk tonight :)

What are you thankful for today?

Give Thanks

I am thankful for play group. This semester I started up a play group with hopes that it would become something that moms and there kids look forward to each month. Today was our most sucessful play group yet! We had 10 moms and 15 kids under the age of 3! Three of the moms that were there today are expecting as well! Almost all of the moms and kids that were there today live right here on campus! Play group has been a great time for me to visit with other moms and for my kids to play. Today was beautiful and we played at the playground for a couple of hours. I hope even more moms will join our group and be blessed by the time together!

What are you thankful for today?

Saturday Fun!

Saturday morning we made a quick trip to Canton! We were so busy we forgot to take a picture so here is the group! Even though it was short, we had a great time!



Saturday afternoon Aunt Debbie, Uncle Jimmy and Krystal got to come and see us! I was SO excited to get to see you all. Isn't she beautiful? :)



It was a beautiful day. We enjoyed visiting outside.



Aww.

Just Krystal and Me. That is the way it usually was. We have shared many a nights up talking together. I love you!!

Saturday was a very full, but very fun day. I got up early and a few friends and I headed to Canton to shop! I had a commitment for later in the afternoon so our shopping was short but the visit was great! I will have to go back soon though with no time limit! Later that afternoon Aunt Debbie, Uncle Jimmy, and Krystal came to see us! They delivered a new dresser that Uncle Jimmy had built. Thanks again! We love it!!

Thanks for coming to see us. We already miss you.

Give Thanks

I have decided to try something new for the month of November. I love all the things that the beginning of November brings. Today is All Saints Day, we have multiple family birthdays in November, of course Thanksgiving is in November, and Christmas and all its festivities are right around the corner! Ryne and I are constantly being loved on and encouraged and we are SO thankful for that. I hope that I will always remember to be Thankful for what the Lord has done and not just on Thanksgiving. That is why I am going to try to post something I am thankful for each day in November!
I feel as if too often I can get caught up in the "holiday season" and I miss some of the little things that really make life special. I hope I can always look back at these posts and be reminded of this time in our lives and how God is and has been working in our lives. Maybe others will even get a blessing too!
So today...
I am thankful that my children have clothes for the "Winter". I kept getting frustrated because there is a big box of clothes that is sitting in my living room floor. Just a few weeks ago I was thinking about how Riley really needed some more Winter clothes because she was outgrowing them all. Then, by complete coincedence i'm sure :) someone gave me a box full of clothes for Riley! Istead of praising God for his provision I got frustrated with the "extra work" that the box in my living room floor represents. I remember when my mom worked at the Elementary school, there would be many children that couldn't play outside because they did not have a coat. My kids have more than one, atleast. Isn't it funny how we do things like that sometimes. I am thankful that I have clothes for my children and that God always provides.

Daily Dose of Love

It is so impressive to me how God can reveal his love in so many different ways. I am so thankful that my God is continuously placing people in my life that uplift me and encourage me. That is how I feel about my friend Angie. What started out as an attempt to lose some baby weight, has turned into a daily dose of love. (well, almost daily)

This is a typical evening for Ang and I. We walk two to three miles almost every evening. Pushing my double stroller is quite the workout and Miss Alivia is getting bigger each day too! We will often times take turns with the double so that we can each have a turn at the beast! Ha. Not only do I miss the exercise when we are unable to go (such as today because of the rain) I will miss our visits too. True to our gender, we talk about everything from clothes, and babies, to religion and relationships. We plan showers and parties, talk about homework and dinner. One thing that makes Angie so special is that she is one of four daughters as well.

I remember her telling me that until she came to LeTourneau, she never really had friends. She didn't need them. She was home schooled, and lived in Africa for a couple of years with her family, and that was all that she needed. Her sisters were her best friends. Then came John, her husband, and therefore had never had to experience the incredible love of a friend. However, then John was in training for the military for almost 6 months and Ang was here in Texas, pregnant and away from her family and needed friends. This past year has been a time of much growth for her family and for mine. At first glance that may seem sad, but when she told me that I thought "the love and bond that she has with her sisters is the sweetest story of love that I have ever heard." We tell each other we are each others sisters because we are both away from our sisters whom we love and miss so much.

I know that one day our walks will come to an end and one day, we wont live just steps away from each other, but for now, my daily dose of love from Ang (not to mention a little exercise too) has become a favorite part of my days.

Thanks for all the love girl! Hopefully this rain will clear up and we can hit the pavement again tomorrow! Tonight, I missed it.

Mascara

Miss Riley attempted to put on some of Mommy's mascara yesterday! It was semi cute until she did it a second time later that evening. Oh and if you cant tell, she did get some on her eyelashes :) However, I think it will be a while longer before we try that again...

Cheap Tent

This is Ethan. The little boy that I watch. I just thought it was too funny! The kids were upset when Ryne had to put his legs down! Haha